The present invention relates to improved methods of stripping insulation from wires. In the prior art, apparatuses for stripping insulation from wires and methods of stripping are known. However, Applicant is unaware of any such apparatuses or methods including all of the features and aspects of the present invention.
The following prior art is known to Applicant:
U.S. Pat. No. 880,790 to Goehst discloses an implement for removing insulating covering from electric circuit wires which includes the combination of two sets of opposing back-to-back V-blades designed to cut insulation along with a flat blade which longitudinally shears a piece of insulation between the V-blades. The present invention differs from the teachings of Goehst as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade, with the sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,563,911 to Beck discloses a wire stripper having a gripper mechanism as well as a pair of cutting blades including U-shaped cutting surfaces. The present invention differs from the teachings of Beck as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade and with the sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,948 to Falken discloses a wire cutting and stripping apparatus which includes sets of V-blades installed back-to-back to guide and strip insulation while wire is held by grippers. The present invention differs from the teachings of Falken as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade and with the respective sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another so that the V-blade from one set is adjacent the Delta-blade of the other set, and vice-versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,309 to Logan et al. discloses a method of attaching terminals to a length of insulated conductor including two sets of blades having U-shaped cutting regions which may move laterally with respect to one another to strip insulation from a conductor. The present invention differs from the teachings of Logan et al. as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade and with the respective sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another so that the V-blade from one set is adjacent the Delta-blade of the other set, and vice-versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,156 to Myer et al. discloses an automatic wire nick detector for electric wire cut and strip machines, which device contemplates the use of pairs of opposed blades with one pair comprising a V-blade with a slot at the apex thereof combined with a blade with a U-shaped recess, and with a second pair of such blades being the same two blades but inverted in configuration. Additionally, a V-shaped wire cutting blade is also provided in a paired set. The present invention differs from the teachings of Myer et al. as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade and with the respective sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another so that the V-blade from one set is adjacent the Delta-blade of the other set, and vice-versa. Additionally, in a further embodiment of the present invention, a gripper mechanism as well as a wire cutter may be employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,891 to Lerner discloses a wire stripper including an upper sharp edge guide designed to hold wire insulation and a V-blade designed to cut the insulation while the rest of the wire is pulled by hand in order to strip the insulation from the end of the wire. The present invention differs from the teachings of Lerner as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade and with the respective sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another so that the V-blade from one set is adjacent the Delta-blade of the other set, and vice-versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,405 to Butler discloses a compound angle blade for stripping insulated electrical conductors. As shown in the Butler drawings, the blades comprise a pair of compound angle generally V-shaped blades operated in conjunction with one another to strip insulation. The present invention differs from the teachings of Butler as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade and with the respective sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another so that the V-blade from one set is adjacent the Delta-blade of the other set, and vice-versa. The present invention is similarly distinguishable from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,852,433, 4,972,582, and 5,025,687 to Butler.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,942,789 to Hoffa et al., 4,979,299 to Bieganski and 4,985,996 to Steiner disclose rotating blades which strip insulation all around the conductor. The present invention differs from the teachings of these patents as contemplating reciprocating sets of V-shaped and Delta-blades.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,797 to Stepan discloses the use of four sharp blades in a single plane to cut insulation while gripping means holds the wire. The present invention differs from the teachings of Stepan as contemplating two sets of blades with each set including a V-blade and a Delta-blade and with the respective sets of blades being inverted with respect to one another so that the V-blade from one set is adjacent the Delta-blade of the other set, and vice-versa.
As is known, the wire stripping industry utilizes two basic types of stripping blades for stripping insulation from the insulated electrical conductor. The first type is the "DIE" type blades which are designed to form only one specific hole size with no ability for adjustment. Two pairs of these blades working back-to-back may not require grippers because all four sharp edges are in the same plane. The second type which is commonly used in the prior art is the "V" type blades which can guide and tolerate a range of conductor sizes but which require grippers to hold the wire in place.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages found in prior art stripper devices and methods by combining the advantages of "DIE" and V-type blades while eliminating the disadvantages which each type of blades possesses individually. In a similar way to the use of "DIE" type blades, no grippers are required in utilizing the present invention and method. On the other hand, since some of the blades are of the "V" type, they may tolerate a large number of different sizes of conductors and insulation thickness while allowing cutting and stripping of the insulation without damaging of the conductor. Since the force required to cut and strip the insulation is very low in light of the inventive design, the actual mounts and blades may even be made of plastic.